President Akufo-Addo has stated that the implementation of Free Senior High School (SHS) was a matter of highest public priority for him hence his decision to invest in the policy.
He said making that decision was a matter of choice and as a leader and he chose to invest in the future of the Ghanaian youth.
According to the president, the choice to invest in education was cheap compared to the alternative of having an uneducated and unskilled workforce that has the capacity to retard the country’s development.
Speaking at the official launch of the policy held at the premises of the West Africa Senior High School at Adenta in Accra Today he said: “Today we throw open the door of opportunities and hope to our young people”.
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Funding the policy has been one of the key points of criticism by a section of the population but the president said using proceeds from Ghana’s natural resources to fund the policy was a step that will drive Ghana’s economic transformation in the right direction.
He added that this was to ensure an equitable distribution of the mineral wealth Ghana was blessed with.
“Instead of the revenues from our mineral and oil resources ending up in the hands of a few people. The most equitable and progressive way of using these revenues is to educate and empower our population to strengthen our nation
The president said parents will no longer be burdened with the financial difficulties that come with sending their children to the senior high schools.
“To ensure that no child is denied access to secondary school education, we are removing one of the biggest obstacles which currently stand in their way-cost.”
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“We have the sacred duty that irrespective of circumstances, the right to education is preserved, He said”
He said Ghana is on its way to attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 4 which calls for inclusive and equitable education and the promotion of lifelong opportunities for all.
“That is why my government decided to absorb all senior high school fees that are agreed between the GES and the CHASS, I want every Ghanaian child to attend secondary school not just for what they learn in books but for the life experiences they will get,” he said.
